Meet the Founder

I'm Cathie Sherwood, a professional family historian and educator with more than 40 years of experience in higher education, teaching and genealogical research.

As a former Associate Professor specialising in education and technology, I've always been passionate about creating engaging learning experiences that combine academic rigour with practical application.

I established Past in Practice to provide family historians researching Australia and New Zealand with opportunities to learn directly from leading experts, explore historical records and develop their research skills through immersive, hands-on experiences.

My vision is to take family history education beyond the classroom and the computer screen, bringing researchers closer to the records and the specialists who know them best. I want participants to discover sources they may never have encountered, develop new approaches to their research and gain the confidence to tackle those long-standing family history mysteries.